Fruit Slice Recipe from Retro Classics Cookbook
Affectionately(!) known as fly pie or fly cemetery, this has a crisp pastry base and top and is packed full of gently spiced sticky currants. A similar bake – sometimes called Nelson squares – has a filling that includes leftover cake.
MAKES 10 slices
PREPARATION 20 minutes plus chilling COOKING 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
For the pastry
- Plain flour 350g (12oz), plus extra for dusting
- Salt . tsp
- Butter 225g (8oz), chilled and cubed
- Milk to brush
- Granulated sugar 2 tbsp
For the filling
- Butter 50g (2oz), cubed
- Light muscovado sugar 110g (4oz)
- Mixed spice 1. tsp
- Apricot jam 2 tbsp
- Currants 375g (13oz)
METHOD:
- To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and whizz to make a dough. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the filling, gently heat the butter, muscovado sugar, spice, jam and currants until the butter has melted and everything is combined.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160fan/ Gas 4.
- Cut the pastry in half. Place one half on a piece of baking paper and roll out using a floured rolling pin to a rectangle about 30 x 20cm (12 x 8in).
- Lift the baking paper and pastry onto a baking tray and spread with the currant mixture almost to the edges. Roll out the remaining pastry on another piece of baking paper to the same size. Turn the paper over so that the pastry covers the currant mixture and carefully peel the paper away. Press the edges together and trim to neaten, if necessary. Prick the top evenly with a fork and brush with a little milk.
TIPS
If the pastry doesn’t stick together add 1–2 teaspoons of cold water to the food processor and whizz again. If you find the baking paper is slipping when rolling out the pastry, fold it over the edge of the work surface and lean on the paper while rolling.
This bake is much easier to cut when cold, but you could carefully slice a piece or two and serve warm with cream if you like – be careful as the filling is very hot!
